Have you ever heard someone claim they had too much storage space? I haven’t!
In fact, the lack of storage space in our homes is a common problem for most of us who often move, no matter how organized we try to be.
The best solution to a tidy, well-organized space is to use closets, cabinets, and other custom-made options. Unfortunately, few of us are blessed with a surplus of large closets and strategic built-in cabinetry. And let’s face it, it doesn’t make much sense to invest in them when you move regularly.
So, what to do? Well, I have good news for you! One of the easiest ways to increase storage space in your home is to use the space you already have. Add a few shelves, transform a piece of furniture or maximize any available space. You can create more storage space without breaking the bank and here are a few simple and clever tips to transform your living space and pieces of furniture into ideal storage solutions.
1. Hide remotes in a storage side table
Are you ready to sit down and watch a movie but you can’t find the TV remote control? Are you about to enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, but the coasters are missing? One simple solution is to choose an assigned place in your living room where you can put all your coasters, TV remote controls and other gadgets. For example, you could place them all in a side table. Hidden, yet easy to find!
2. Make the most out of your coffee table
Your side table can be a perfect solution to store small items, but if your living room needs extra storage for bigger items, you might want to consider a coffee table that offers storage space. This will allow you and your family to stash away the children’s toys, games or notebooks. This functional coffee table will be the focal point of the room and offer extra storage space.
3. Organize excess clothing under the bed
The bed is one of your best storage options.
So, next time you shop for a bed, think carefully. Decide what is best for you: beds with built in storage are great for small bedrooms because they can replace a dresser. You can also simply raise your bed with a new frame (or bed risers) and create your own storage space under the bed.
There are many ways you can store different items:
- Boxes (all type, plastic, wood)
- Wicker woven baskets
- Suitcases (if you add some wheels on a vintage suitcase, you will have the most interesting solution!)
- An old bookshelf with wheels, lying on its side
4. Think about a sofa with skirt
Sofas too can be a great storage option. If you look for models that have “skirts” on the bottom (and there are great ones out there!), space underneath the skirt could be a strategic place to hide extra throws, books, magazines, and papers.
You can use DIY drawers or sliding storage boxes and make the most of that small but promising storage area!
5. Create a hidden desk in a piece of furniture
If you don’t have space for an office (or even space for a desk), you certainly know how difficult it can be to keep your computer, files, desk supplies and other work items organized. An excellent idea is to consider a closed desk (see picture below), that will allow you to hide work documents when you’re done working. If space permits, you could also create a hidden office out of a converted armoire.
6. Transform the upper cabinet over your kitchen sink into a dish drying cabinet
The first time I saw this great trick was when I was living in Italy, but I found out it was actually a Nordic invention. Do you have space over your sink? Then you can use it to install a cabinet that serves as a dish drying rack. Not only will it save space on the kitchen countertop, but you won’t need to dry and put away dishes anymore. A clever and simple solution. Isn’t that perfect?
7. Take advantage of the space above your cabinets
The idea of using the space between the top of kitchen cabinets and the kitchen’s ceiling is often discarded but that space can and should be capitalized. That extra space will allow you to store seldom used items. The secret to making this work is visibility, by using wire baskets for example or a color theme. That will add storage space while making your kitchen look stylish.
8. Turn your doors into storage spaces
Cabinets can be installed and used over the door in any room: in your laundry room, your bathroom or even your bedroom. They will be visible to you and keep your essentials handy, well organized and neatly packed away, but they will also keep your floors, countertops’ and dressers’ top free of clutter. Most of them can easily be installed and removed.
9. A bookcase as a night table
Have you ever thought of using a bookshelf as a nightstand? This is an excellent idea if you want to maximize vertical space as a storage solution but don’t have much space. A narrow bookshelf will replace the traditional nightstand and offer even more storage options. Use your creativity and some DIY as a wonderful way to add storage and personality to any bedroom.
10. Six inches (or fifteen cm) are enough for a pantry
Six inches is all you need if you want to add a pantry that can store canned goods and other non-perishables. If you have this little space between appliances and cabinets you can built, a roll-out pantry is an easy, creative storage solution. Roll it out when you need it and slide it back when you’re done. It will store those items away from light and from view. Genius, right?
Finally, I think we can all agree that the more storage space we have, the better. But if we don’t declutter our homes on a regular basis, storage space will never be enough.
Decluttering is the easiest (and cheapest!) way to increase storage space. So, while I hope these tips can be useful to you and help you find new storage solutions, I strongly encourage you to think twice before storing things away.
An easy way to declutter is to work room by room. Have boxes or plastic bags for what you can sell (jewelry and clothes) and what you can give away (books and mismatched kitchen ware for example). Discard outdated or broken items. Keep and store what is really important to you and makes you happy.
Then you can start organizing that new extra storage space you just created and use the tips I shared with you above.
